Hi everyone,

I am having troubles with my fondant skills.. :S

A few weeks ago I agreed to make my mother in laws wedding cake! I am very new at making beautiful cakes, but have made a few fondant cakes in the past and they turned out ok.

The wedding cake is going to be two tiers, covered in white fondant with some small lace details on.

I am in the process of practicing to make the wedding cake and have iced and covered the two tiers in fondant.. The finish is not at all as smooth as I would like it though :(

I am using store bought fondant (Satin Ice) which is very good, but somehow the cakes are looking very bumpy :(

I am using chocolate ganache under the fondant, could that have anything to do with the result?

I am trying to smooth it with my hands and a smoothing tool, but as I am doing that air bubbles seem to appear under the fondant.. Why does this happen? I was very careful to get rid of any air whilst putting the fondant on before smoothing, so im not too sure why they keep popping up now :S

I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment and starting to think it was a bad idea to agree to make something as important as a wedding cake.. :S

Help please!! 

Thank you so much everyone,

Elin

ADid you have your ganache completely smooth before you covered it in fondant? If your ganache isn't smooth the fondant will show up every little bump. Hope that helps!

Ahttp://inspiredbymichelleblog.com/2011/03/30/how-to-make-chocolate-ganache-for-decorating-cakes-3/

The link has three videos that walk you through the ganache process: making it, covering your cake and covering it after with fondant. Very helpful!

I think ganache makes covering fondant cakes much easier, I let the ganache setup overnight on my cake then cover with fondant the following day which also helps because your ganache is firmer.

Your ganache consistency could be the problem, if it's not melted all the way, it should be a peanut butter consistency when your ready to cover your cake. Or, as Rachel said, your fondant will show any imperfections. In my experience Satin Ice dries quickly, so you must work quickly. I start smoothing the top, then edges so it doesn't tear, then work on the sides all with my hands then use my smoothers. If I see air bubbles I pop with a small sewing needle (for cake work only).

Michelle shows all her steps and gets great results, but ultimately it comes down to practice. If you've had better results with BC then maybe you should use that instead. I'd definitely give ganache another few tries after watching her videos. Good luck!

Poke holes in your fondant! After you have kneaded it, put it in a ball and flatten it on the surface your going to roll it out on. Flip it over, and take a fabric needle and poke holes in the fondant (just don't poke all the way down through to the surface). This is the BEST way to avoid bubbles. Since doing this I've never had a problem.

Use two fondant paddles, one for the top and one for the sides to avoid your fingers leaving marks in the cake. And ALWAYS use the side part of your palm below your pinky to press the fondant into the cake as you place it on.

All these tips have made my fondant come out smooth everytime :)